Pinellas Park business urges council to ease or even out enforcement of feather‑flag ban

Robert Harris, owner of Premier Outdoor Living and Design, told the Pinellas Park City Council on Jan. 8 that city staff told his business feather flags are prohibited and that inconsistent enforcement has harmed his sales. “Our business is down over 50% in sales on those days,” Harris said, describing the flags as a practical way to notify customers when the co‑tenant is closed.

Harris said a city representative issued a warning about six months earlier and that an associate planner later confirmed feather flags are prohibited in Pinellas Park. He asked the council either to reconsider the prohibition or to make enforcement consistent so similar businesses are treated equally.

Harris described his business as a destination where customers plan large purchases and said flags are an important visual cue: “They have to really know that we’re there and that we are open,” he said. He also said the pattern of enforcement appears haphazard — some businesses display feather flags while others are cited — and asked the city to clarify the rule or its enforcement.

The comment came during the public‑comment portion of the meeting; council did not take immediate action and no staff report or follow‑up vote was scheduled during the session. The record shows Harris spoke for three minutes and provided his name and address for the record.